Field
Various embodiments pertain to computing devices and virtual machines. In particular, various embodiments relate to the start-up, operation, and communication of virtual machines.
Description of the Related Art
The ever increasing sharing of private user data in today's technological environments has created an increase need to employ various security mechanisms to ensure that the data being uploaded, downloaded, and communicated is protected. While secure communications are needed between two different users, or between two different computing devices, communications between a computing device and a virtual machine can also benefit from added security protections.
A virtual machine is an operating system installed on software. The software is designed to mimic dedicated hardware, and provide an operating system that appears to be identical to an operating system having dedicated hardware. While virtual machines are software based, not hardware based, virtual machines are launched on host computing devices that have dedicated hardware. There are many beneficial uses of virtual machines, including preventing computer viruses, testing software, creating a back-up of an entire operating system, and creating a personal cloud computer.
Current methods of launching a virtual machine on a computing device may create some security risks. For example, it may be possible for an attacker to escape the confines of the virtual machine and access the host computing device during the launching of the virtual machine in the host computing device. In addition, like other forms of internet based communication, there are security concerns about data being transferred between the virtual machine and the host computing device.